The present invention is directed to a musical hula hoop, and more particularly to a musical hula hoop that selectively generates music based on use of the hula hoop.
Hula hoops are well-known toys and have been marketed for many years. Various different designs of hula hoops have been made. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,964 to Arad, et al. discloses a hula hoop having a counter mechanism that counts the number of rotations of the hula hoop when being used. The counter mechanism is operatively coupled to an actuator that causes indexing of the counter mechanism in response to displacement of the actuator mechanism due to contact between the actuator mechanism and the person using the hula hoop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,340 to Farrow discloses a hula hoop having a sound system that generates music and a lighting system. The Farrow patent discloses that the lighting system may include a plurality of light bulbs and a plurality of pressure switches that are positioned in an interior portion of the hula hoop so to make contact with the person using the hula hoop.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,443 to Vaisnys, et al. discloses a hula hoop that is provided with a sound-generating system for generating a tone, a steady simple beat, a rhythmic beat, or a tune. The hula hoop is provided with a switch which may be in the form of a motion detector that senses motion of the hula hoop so that the sound generating system only operates when the hula hoop is being used.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to a musical hoop toy that may include a first hoop section comprising a hollow tube, a second hoop section comprising a hollow tube, a first hoop connector that is capable of joining the second hoop section to the first hoop section, a third hoop section comprising a hollow tube, a second hoop connector that is capable of joining the third hoop section to the second hoop section, a fourth hoop section comprising a hollow tube, and a third hoop connector that is capable of joining the fourth hoop section to the third hoop section. The hoop sections may form at least part of a circular hoop structure having a diameter in the range of about 25 inches to about 40 inches when the hoop sections are joined by the connectors.
The musical hoop toy may also include a housing coupled to one of the hoop sections, one or more batteries disposed in the housing, a counterweight disposed in one of the hoop sections other than the hoop section to which the housing is coupled, a music button associated with the housing, and a contact button associated with the housing and being disposed on an interior side of the toy hoop such that, when the toy hoop sections are connected together and when the toy hoop is spun around a person""s waist, the contact button will be periodically activated by contact with a portion of the person""s waist.
The musical hoop toy may also include an audio speaker and a controller operatively coupled to the music button, the contact button and the audio speaker. The controller may include a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory. The computer program may include a computer program portion that causes a music sequence to be started in response to the music button being pressed, the music sequence having a possible duration of at least about three seconds, a computer program portion that causes the time period to be restarted each time the contact button is activated, a computer program portion that causes the music sequence to be terminated if the contact button is not activated before the time period elapses, and a computer program portion that causes an audio sound effect to be generated in response to each activation of the contact button.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a musical hoop toy that may include a hoop structure having a diameter in the range of between about 25 inches and about 40 inches, a sensing mechanism disposed on an interior side of the hoop toy such that, when the hoop toy is spun around a person""s waist, the sensing mechanism will be periodically activated by a portion of the person""s waist, an audio speaker, and a controller operatively coupled to the sensing mechanism and the audio speaker. The controller may include a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory. The computer program may include a computer program portion that causes a music sequence to be started and a computer program portion that causes the music sequence to be terminated if the sensing mechanism is not activated before a given time period elapses.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a musical hoop toy that may include a hoop structure, a sensing mechanism disposed on an interior side of the hoop toy such that, when the hoop toy is spun around a person""s waist, the sensing mechanism will be periodically activated by a portion of the person""s waist, an audio speaker, and a controller operatively coupled to the sensing mechanism and the audio speaker. The controller may include a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory. The computer program may have a computer program portion that causes a music sequence to be generated and a computer program portion that causes an audio sound effect to be generated in response to each activation of the sensing mechanism.